Brewers: 5 Players On The 40 Man Roster In Danger Of Not Making It To Opening Day

Candidate #4: RHP Adrian Houser

A surprise? Perhaps. Unlike the earlier candidates, Adrian Houser isn't a candidate to be DFAed but he could not be on the Brewers 40 man roster come Opening Day. There's a chance the Brewers could look to trade him.

With the free agent signing of Wade Miley, who is likely to earn the 5th rotation spot behind Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, and Eric Lauer, Adrian Houser is on the outside looking in of the rotation picture. That likely pushes Houser to the long relief role in the bullpen.

The Brewers could very well stick him in that role and be happy to use him as the 6th starter when they want to lengthen their rotation. However, other teams would likely be very willing to have Houser in their regular starting five. That makes him a potential trade candidate and the addition of Miley makes it a bit easier for the Brewers to stomach a departure from their starting group to address another hole elsewhere on the roster.

Candidate #5: RHP Bryse Wilson

I know the Brewers just got Bryse Wilson, but that doesn't mean he'll stick around for Opening Day. The Pittsburgh Pirates designated him for assignment, and that's how the Brewers were able to get him. They've told him to come to camp to compete for a starting rotation spot. That is going to be an uphill battle.

Like other players on this list, Wilson is out of minor league options. Should he fail to make the rotation, the bullpen is another place that Wilson could go, but that has plenty of candidates itself. Could Wilson be the long relief option? Not if Adrian Houser is filling that role. The Brewers won't carry two long relievers like that on the active roster.

Perhaps the Brewers can work some magic with Wilson and unleash the talent and potential that made him a Top 100 prospect not too long ago. But they won't have long to work with him before they have to make a decision on him. If Wilson can't earn a rotation spot and the Brewers retain all their other rotation candidates, it gets difficult to see Wilson cracking the Opening Day roster, which means he'll have to fall off the 40 man roster and get DFAed once again.

For some of these players, their fate rests on their performance in spring training and for others, they may end up traded before we reach Opening Day. The one thing we do know, is that there will continue to be changes to the 40 man between now and Opening Day.